AOK stands up against a premium refund

Health insurance AOK defends distribution of surpluses in the form of premiums

05/29/2012

The AOK refuses to use existing surpluses to pay premiums to insured persons. Instead, the money should be used to secure the long-term care, said the chairman of the board of the AOK Federal Association, Jürgen Graalmann, compared to „Rheinische Post“.

The dispute over the use of billions in statutory health insurance (statutory health insurance) continues. After the Federal Minister of Health Daniel Bahr (FDP) has spoken out several times since February for a distribution of surpluses in the form of premium refunds to the insured and the Federal Insurance Office (BVA) some health insurances encouraged to at least consider a premium repayment, the head of the AOK Federal Association now against. The AOK does not want to distribute premiums, but instead use the funds to secure and improve its services.

Just two years ago, it was hard to imagine that some statutory health insurance companies would be so positive within a very short time that it would be possible to discuss the use of surpluses. But in fact, the health insurance funds at the end of 2011 had reserves of almost 10 billion euros. Many health insurance companies had significantly higher reserves than the 1.5 monthly expenditure provided by law. These exceedances of the maximum reserve awaken desires. On the part of the Federal Minister of Health, the demand is in the room to repay the contributions in the form of premiums to the insured. The Federal Insurance Office expects the health insurances with the largest surpluses to provide information about the use of the funds and demands at least a premium reimbursement. Indeed, a payout of at least € 60 per insured would be possible, so the estimate of the BVA.

On the part of the AOK Federal Association, the demands for a distribution of surpluses to the insured persons have now been clearly rejected. The chairman of the AOK-Bundesverband stressed to the „Rheinische Post“, that the „AOK invest the surpluses in the long-term security of supply and pay no premiums“ will. The funds should also be used to further improve the services offered, Graalmann continued. Almost three weeks ago, the GKV-Spitzenverband had already stressed, in view of the demands of the Federal Minister of Health and the BVA, that one had „In view of the rising expenditure on hospitals, medicines and doctor's fees, the government's announcement at the same time that the federal subsidy should be cut short, gives the health insurance premiums a great deal of sympathy.“ In addition, the year 2011 was by no means a good year for all public health insurance companies, as the bankruptcy of the City BKK and the BKK for health professions illustrate in a sobering way. Building reserves to prepare for the financial uncertainties of the future therefore seems plausible. Especially since the premium distribution would only have a short-term effect in the wallets of individual insured persons. „I think it's smarter to deal with finances in a sustainable way“, so the somewhat snappy comment by Jürgen Graalmann. (Fp)

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Image: Sara Hegewald